Kathmandu. In the film Ek Mutthi Badal, Aviral Pratap Adhikari plays the youngest member of the family on screen, and he was also the youngest member on set in real life. Interestingly, he was the very first person to audition for the film.
The production team said the film took 6–7 years to refine its screenplay, which evolved through multiple stages of development across international labs before reaching production.
It was during this process that Aviral auditioned for the role of the younger brother character.
Recalling the experience, Aviral said, “I was 17 at the time. I had no acting experience. I performed a two-page scene in my own interpretation and sent it in. Director Sahara Didi told me they would contact me later. After five years, I had to audition again, and only then was I selected.”
He described the day he was selected as one of the most memorable moments of his life. “I flew on a plane for the first time when we went to Pokhara for shooting. It was an exciting experience,” he said. He also recalled becoming emotional when the shoot ended.
Aviral comes from a family with artistic background. He is the grandson of poet and lyricist Kshetra Pratap Adhikari and the son of program director and commentator Aman Pratap Adhikari. Following this legacy, he entered acting through theatre before moving into films. After Ek Mutthi Badal,, he also acted in Pari Butol.
In the film, he plays a pampered younger brother in a family surrounded by sisters. However, he says his real-life personality is quite different.
“Growing up with sisters at home helped me understand the brother–sister dynamic in the film. But my real life and the film character are different,” he said.
According to him, the film’s characters reflect real Nepali families. “It feels like the screenplay was written after studying families across Nepal,” he added.
Written and directed by Sahara Sharma, Ek Mutthi Badal is set to release from Jestha 1. The film features Nisha Sharma, Shekhar Chapagain, Aanchal Sharma, Usha Rajak, Manish Niroula, Gaurav Bista, Yograj Adhikari, Bhima Mainali, and Asmita Gautam among others.
